Efflorescence
by Queen of the Seas
Summary: A collection of drabbles featuring the Dark Knight and Harleen Quinzel.
1. Azure

**A/N: So this is sort of my little project/challenge for myself. I want to see if I can make it to fifty Bruce x Harleen (or Batman x Harley Quinn) drabbles. Reviews are never expected but always welcome! **

Blue was never Bruce's favorite color, he never felt any particular positive emotion towards it that was until, he met _her._ Bleach blonde hair, pink glossed lips, skin purple dress only partially concealed by a doctor's coat, thick rimmed glasses.

Doctor Harleen Quinzel was gorgeous.

Even though she'd only looked up from her work for a moment and their eyes had only met for half of an instant, he had a feeling that blue was going to be his new favorite color.


	2. Favors

"Why?"

"Why what?" she spat, glaring up at the one and only Batman. She was sick of getting the third degree burn from her, if he was going to take her to Arkham, she wished that he would instead of talking to her like this. His conversation was merely salt in the wounds.

"Why do you do this?"

"..Why not? This city screwed me over once, I think it's only fair that I return the favor."


	3. Anxiety

She was scared, trembling under the heavy blanket of anxiety that seemed to be laid out on top of her. The plain white walls of Arkham Asylum would be far behind her now if only she could take the first steps out of her three year prison. Uncertainty tainted her body posture and her slender arms wrapped around her petite form as she waited for the doctors to sign the last of the papers. Harleen couldn't believe that this was happening.

She was being released.

She was being taken under the wing of one of the richest men in all of Gotham.

"Ready?" asked a voice behind her.

The blonde turned to offer Bruce Wayne a small, half hearted smile and nodded. He flashed her a warm grin and lightly placed a friendly arm around her shoulders. For some reason, as she walked out the door at his side, her fears began to fade away.


	4. Winter

"I'm coldddd!" whined Harleen

Bruce, who sat on the master bed chuckling at the antics of the blonde and silently marveling at her pale skin and the way it seemed to glow in the cerulean moonlight. A few minutes ago they'd both been pressed together against the cool marble wall of the shower, lost in the sensation of the steam and each other now here she was running around and flailing about the room complaining that she was cold.

"Put some clothes on then and come here."

The blonde stuck out her tongue but obliged and as she dressed, Bruce couldn't help but watch her in awe. She was vibrant, brilliant and iridescent; she was like his own personal sun. It was amazing that despite everything that had happened to her she was more alive than half of the people in this city.

Harleen crawled onto the bed, they then both moved under the covers. He immediately pulled her to him and his burly arms encircled her. She rested her head against the warm skin of his chest and wrapped her own arms around his slim waist.

"I'm cold," she whispered softly.

Bruce smiled softly to himself, understanding her request and holding her a little tighter. "I'm not."


	5. Anchor

"Hello?"  
>"Harleen?"<br>"Bruce? What the hell do you want?"  
>"Please, I just-just want to talk to you."<br>"About what? You've said enough."  
>"Can-can I at least say my piece to you..in person and then you can decide where we'll go from there?"<p>

Silence.

"Fine. Meet me at Gotham Central Park in like, what an hour or so? By the fallen angel statue?"  
>"Okay..and Harleen?"<br>"Yeah?"  
>"I'm sorry."<br>"….I'll see you in an hour."

Harleen hung up the phone receiver, staring down at it in disbelief. What was she doing? She'd been in over her head the whole time and Bruce hadn't bothered to let her know until she'd sunk. Some Dark Knight.


	6. Topsy Turvy

"What does it feel like?"

Harleen had closed her azure eyes, contemplating the question as they laid side by side on the couch, looking at room from the wrong angle. Should she tell him the truth, could he handle it, would he even want to hear it? Where she'd been before had been a dark, dismal and frightening, asking her to recall the feelings were like asking her to relive the madness and jump back down the rabbit hole.

Her expresso haired companion stared down at her patiently, absently running his large fingers through her hair despite the strangeness of their current situation.

"It feels like this," the blonde whispered, opening her eyes and glancing over at Bruce. "Like being upside down."


	7. Nocturne

Pain. It was the only thing Batman could register at the moment – he didn't know where he was, what had happened to him, all he could remember was heading to Arkham to stop the riots that had reportedly been breaking out but when he'd got there he found not only was it deserted but that all the inmates, every last loon, murder and rapist had escaped back into his city.

He remembered deciding to go after Two-Face first and almost catching him but then his mind was blurred with images of faces, boots, blood, fists. His dark eyes struggled to focus, no matter how many times he blinked so he would just have to settle with managing blind. Batman braced his body for movement but in this tiny gesture, he was smacked in the face with a fresh dose of pain and it was only then that he realized how serious his injuries must have been. He could immediately tell that his left shoulder was dislocated, a few ribs seemed to be broken or severely bruised, he could have possibly had a concussion, he wasn't sure yet but something in his leg was definitely broken – it was hurting him the most.

Footsteps. Oh god, someone was coming.

No, he refused to let anyone see him like this. He was the Dark Protector, since when did he ever get beaten?

"Batsy?"


	8. Nocturne II

Harley wasn't supposed to be here, the Joker had specifically told her not to go wandering around the Narrows at night without letting him know where she was going..whatever, she hardly cared and besides, when had she ever started answering to him? She'd gone out for some air, half hoping that she'd be able to get in a fight with someone tonight and half praying that the Joker wasn't trailing her.

As she walked down the block she'd heard it, a distinct groan of agony sounding from an alley across the street and after living in the Narrows for the past few months, she should have been used to this yet still, something urged her forward and down the dark alley way until she came to a familiar form.

"Batsy?"

Oh god, he looked horrible lying on the ground like that. He was practically drenched in blood that she could only assume to be his own blood, his suit was torn and dented in place – he looked so helpless that the blonde almost never would have guessed that this was the same creature who could make grown men soil themselves at the sound of his name. She rushed over to him and dropped down beside the broken Bat. Gently, she smacked the exposed part of his face and whispered into his ear "Batsy! Batsy! Can you hear me; blink twice if you can hear me!"

The Bat groaned and still struggled to place exactly where Harley was but he could hear here and that was enough. He blinked slowly, once and then twice. The blonde sighed in a bit of relief. "Okay, okay. Shit, you're really beat up. You're in the middle of the Narrows, did you know that? 32nd Street! Are you out of your mind deciding to lay down and die on this block?"

She was silent for a moment, chewing down on her lip as she seemed to contemplate the multiple options she was given in this situation. She could run, she could forget about him, she could tell everyone that the Bat was here and that he was wounded or she could even finish him off herself and none would be the wiser. After a few moments, she seemed to come to her decision.

"I'm not going to let you die here, Bats." She whispered in his ear with so much conviction that Batman couldn't help but trust her..even just a tiny bit.

"….W-why…?"

"How many times have you saved me and my dumb ass?" she asked "It's my turn to save you now and I'm going to start by getting you off the ground."

"..Shoulder..dislocate.." he murmured.

The blonde cocked her head to the side in confusion; did he want her to dislocate his shoulder? Oh, wait. Gently, she felt for each of his shoulders and found that the left one was indeed dislocated. Lucky for the Bat, Harleen was still a doctor and remembered exactly how to set a shoulder. Unlucky for him was the fact that she'd never actually done it on anyone before.

"I'm going to have to set this right now and it's gonna hurt," she warned him, looking down into his dark irises "A lot."

Batman nodded slowly "…I k-know.." he grunted.

"I'm going to count to three okay? One," The blonde made sure that his arm was relaxed and in the proper position for relocation. "Two," She then held onto his upper arm with one hand to ensure that it didn't move while the other gripped his elbow preparing for what she had to do and then, using all of her strength, Harleen pushed upward.

"Three!"


	9. Nocturne III

Batman screamed for what felt like hours, he'd felt a lot of pain in his lifetime but he would definitely have to place having relocated as one of the worst.

Harleen was upset, she'd never hurt someone before at least not when she'd had the intention of helping them. But her job wasn't over yet, she still had to find a way to help him up off the ground and she was sure that he was at least seventy pounds heavier than she was.

"Are you okay?" she whispered

He nodded and replied gruffly "I'll..live.."

"Good, now how I am going to get you home?"

"..Car's down..other end of the..alley.."

Harleen glanced down the end of the alley and could see the shape of the Bat-Tumbler but with its owner in the condition that he was, it was going to be a long, long journey to the end of the alley. She turned back to him and sighed.

"You're gonna owe me big time, Bats, you know that? I mean it, I want a fancy ass dinner at some nice ass restaurant." 


	10. Webs

Being the Dark Knight meant that Bruce had to protect everyone in his city; from the richest politician to the poorest drug addict and some would chose to dub him a hero.

He wasn't exactly sure that he would exactly agree with that statement but he would openly at admit that he never felt more like a hero when Harleen practically ran into his arms after he killed a spider for her.


	11. Memory

Memories were a funny thing.

Harleen found that the bad ones had ways of sneaking up on you when you were at your weakest  
>and that one had to work to relive the good ones. When she was around Bruce every bad thing that had ever happened to her came rushing over her like a wave and then she would simply smile because it was all those bad things that had brought her into the arms of this wonderful man.<p>

"Love ya, Bruce."


	12. Juvenility

"I can't believe that we're doing this."

"Just shut up and move over!"

Bruce moved a bit to the left to make more room for her within the tiny space, she squeezed inside and was immediately pressed against him, his hip bones digging into her side, her shoulder pressing painfully against his. He prayed that Alfred didn't come into the kitchen, their current situation would have been a bit difficult to explain.

"…This isn't as fun as it used to be.."

"You know, Harls, there is a reason people our age don't try to fit in big cardboard boxes anymore."


	13. Cradle

Harley screamed.

She screamed and ran and screamed until she collided with someone, something. She looked up but all that she could see was darkness, worms and blood and a face, a face that she should have recognized but in her fear she was blinded. The dark, bloody irises were boring into hers and the darkness began to devour her, eating away at her arms and sucking her in. Harley screamed even louder and fought out against the darkness but it refused to let go of her and growled in her ears. She was going to die.

Batman held tightly on the tiny little blonde as she struggled against him and whispered consolingly in her ear, eventually her struggles subsided and were replaced with sobs.

Jonathan Crane was a dead man.


	14. Desire

Temptation wasn't a sin and after committing quite a few of them herself, Harleen was quite certain of that if nothing else.

She did believe however, that temptation just happened to be a six foot five man with eyes the color of chocolate and hair of the same shade. He especially seemed to embody this when he wore one of those Armani suits that he loved so much.

"Come 'ere, you," she giggled.


	15. Dark Humor

It was a cool night, the kind of night where couples would sit out on their roofs and stargaze – she imagined that was why he'd chosen it. The candles filled the rooftop with a soft amber glow and the roses filled the night with a gentle scent.

She almost could have laughed at the absurdity of it and cried at the thoughtfulness.

The latter of the two seemed more likely, no one had ever done anything like this for her and she wasn't exactly sure what to do with herself. He was the Dark Knight, didn't he have scum to be beating? Why would he waste his time up here with her?

"I was kidding, Batsy," she whispered "About the dinner. Can't you take a joke?"


	16. Wolf

"Why are you such an asshole?" screamed the little blonde.

Bruce wished that he could answer her; he'd regretted what he'd said the moment it had left his mouth. He didn't exactly understand either why he acted the way he did sometimes, especially towards her. He hated to see her cry but it seemed that whenever she did, he was the source of her tears.

"Harls, wait, I didn't mean it." He reached for her but she slipped out of his grasp and stormed down the hall.

"Oh yeah, sure you didn't." she spat.

"Just let me apologize!" He followed after her. She ran into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her.  
>"Go away!"<p>

Bruce sighed and rested his forehead against the door; he could hear her tiny little sobs from within the room. Shit. He'd really done it this time and something told him that damage control wasn't going to be easy this time.

"Harleen, please, let me in?" he whispered

"Not by the hair of my chiny-chin-chin."


	17. Duality

**a/n: Thanks to my amazing gal pal, Kendra Luehr for reviewing and for being an inspiration to most of these stories! (;**

* * *

><p>She was different from him, that was why they were so perfect for eachother.<p>

There had been others before her, of course but he doubted that there would ever be any after her. Where other women had failed she had succeeded in bringing light to his dark world. Selina had never been able to do that, she was in a place as dark as his own and only brought more shadow into his unending night.

They were twins, two halves of the same whole – she understood him better than he did himself and he did for her as well. That was why it could have never worked with Selina and although she was angry with him for denying her, he knew that deep down Selina understood that he was right.

But with Harleen, things were different. She was his opposite in every way; she hadn't withdrawn into herself despite all the horrible things that had happened to her, she didn't drown in her own misery every night and she was so sure of her future, of herself and that was why things could always work with Harleen.

She was everything he could never be.

As the Batman stared down into his city from atop a lonely gargoyle statue, he couldn't help but feel as though the old saying was right - opposites attract.


	18. Obedience

Men, Harleen found, were complete and utter babies. The biggest baby of all just happened to be twenty-six years old and suffering from a cold. Now, most men would have taken the chance and given themselves a few days off to rest but oh no, not her baby.

"Bruce, you're sick, you need to lie down."

"Harleen, I'm fine! Quit bugging me."

"Yesterday you had a fever of one hundred and two; don't tell me that you're fine!"

Just looking at him from across his bedroom she could see that he was anything but fine, sweat was pouring from his tanned skin, there were dark circles beneath his eyes and to be quite honest, she thought that he looked like hell.

"Seriously, stop worrying alright? You're being ridiculous, I'm only going out for a few hours."

"Please stay home tonight?" she asked, pouting out her lip and giving him her best 'puppy-face' or as she liked to think of it as 'the face when she's losing' "Please, for me?"

"Not gonna work, Harls."

The cute, pleading look immediately melted from her face and Harleen narrowed her eyes. Without warning she ran at Bruce, full speed and managed to tackle him down to the ground.

"What the hell is the matter with you, Harleen?" he snarled.

"I just tackled you. If you'd have been 'fine' as you say you are, you wouldn't have even budged when I slammed into you." She said, straddling his hips with hers and resting her hands against his chest.

"You caught me off guard," he retorted.

"Not another word from you, young man. Now, what you're going to do is get into bed right this instant and let Doctor Quinzel take care of you. Got it?"

"..Yes'mam."

Maybe being sick wasn't so bad.


	19. Material

Harley could still remember the first time she had ever stolen – the Joker had been too involved in his own nonsense to notice or care about what she did. It had been a jewelry store, a nice one, the kind that Selina Kyle dreamed of robbing. Full security that was nearly impossible to get past, guards at every possible exit and a silent alarm that triggered at even the smallest disturbance. Yet somehow, she'd gotten in and stolen one of the most expensive diamond necklaces; the thing ran for five and half million and there she was, holding it in her hands! It was so funny that she almost could have laughed.

Of course she took it, what self respecting woman wouldn't? Her family had been poor; anything she'd gotten was a hand-me-down from one of her older sisters so now that she had the chance, why shouldn't she treat herself?

After all, she was a material kind of girl.


	20. Simple

Harleen could still remember the first time Bruce bought her a present; it had been beautiful, too beautiful in fact. It had been a purple diamond necklace, grand and brilliant, fit for a queen.

She had held the amethyst prize in her hands and stared down at the glittering stones. Something inside her told her to swallow her pride and take the necklace, he had to have spent a fortune on it but another, louder voice told her to give it back.

Smiling softly, Harleen stood on the tip of her toes and gave Bruce a small peck on the lips; she placed then placed the necklace in his hands. His brow furrowed in confusion "Don't you like it?"

"I adore it and I appreciate that you would get that for me but you don't need to get something so extravagant for lil' ol' me. I'm happy with a cheap teddy bear or a cuddle session."

She never really was a material kind of girl.


	21. Lithium

Bruce tried to remind himself that it was only the medicine that made her this way and that in exactly thirty days, three hours and fourteen minutes, she would never have to swallow the poison ever again.

"Are you hungry? We could go out to little Italy, the press won't bother us there."

Her azure gaze didn't even budge from where it was transfixed out the window, she wasn't looking at anything – she never did when she had days like today. Harleen shook her head lightly "No, I'm not really hungry today. But you can go if you want, don't stay on my behalf," she whispered, rolling over and tugging the covers over her blonde head.

He sighed and stood from his seat at the edge of the bed, it was nearly impossible to get her to do anything other than lay around in bed all day – he hated this. He hated seeing the usual vibrant woman reduced to nothing more than a couch potato, if he could have it his way, he would go into the bathroom right now and flush all of her silly medicine down the toilet. But Bruce knew better than that, Harleen needed this and that after her year was up, she could try living without the pills again and hopefully, if Arkham had done its job correctly, she would never need to pop another pill.

No more highs and lows, no more roller coasters of emotion, no more crackpot schemes, delusions and depressive fits.

Bruce tried to remind himself that this was only for today and tomorrow, she would have one of her 'good days' again.


	22. Pride and Praise

Alfred Pennyworth was proud of his son.

The young tortured boy that he had been left with had grown into a strong, independent man bringing honor to his family name and now, to top it all off, he was in love with a young woman whom he ranted "was the single most amazing woman that he'd ever met"

It warmed the old man's heart to see his young so head over heels for such a beautiful, smart woman like Miss Quinzel and in Alfred's opinion, she was just what Master Bruce had been in need of all along. Somehow the blonde little sprite had managed to get past the steel wall Master Bruce seemed to constantly keep up, bring forth his inner child and wiggle her way into his heart.

After his parents deaths, Master Bruce had been forced to grow up so quickly and leave what small fraction of a childhood he'd had behind so the fact that he and Miss Quinzel were down stairs in the living room, chasing each other and howling with laughter like two children on a playground sounded like music to his old ears.

Master Bruce may have been a beacon of hope for the city of Gotham but it was Harleen Quinzel who was a beacon of hope for Alfred because she had saved his only son from his only true enemy; himself.


	23. Disintegration

He should have seen it coming; these last few weeks she'd been acting so differently, quieter, softer and finally he realized what had been wrong with her.

She had been fighting with herself, trying to decide what step to take. Stay or go.

Go.

Gone.

Harleen was gone without so much as a word of where or why. She'd left him a small note on their bed that read in her lovely, large bubble hand writing;

_Bruce,_

_I'm sorry, something came up. I have to go, I'll send for my stuff a little later, okay?  
>I love you.<em>

_-Harls_

What the hell could have come up that was so urgent she couldn't give him a call? Where the hell had she gone and why didn't she bother telling him?

Bruce Wayne didn't know the answer to any of these questions but Batman intended to find them.


	24. Disintegration II

The sun was just beginning to bleed into the horizon when the Tumbler flew out of the Batcave – he hated that he had to wait until nightfall to go out in search of her but Batman couldn't come out in the daylight, even for Harleen.

She had left that note for him two days ago and he'd seen hide or hair of her and as much as he tried to deny it to himself, he was beginning to panic. He needed to find someone who knew Harleen and knew her well. Selina came to mind but he doubted she would want to speak with him about another woman and that only left one other. (Two, actually but Bruce refused to believe that she would go back to that monstrosity.)

"Where is she, Ivy?"

Poison Ivy didn't even turn to acknowledge the Dark Knight as she kneeled down to water her precious plants. "She's not with you?" Ivy asked calmly. "You two didn't have a fight or something did you because the last thing I need is to have to play mediator again."

"Pamela. She's gone and I need you to tell me where she is!" he snarled – he was not in the mood for Ivy's attitude today, not now, not when Harleen might be in some kind of danger.

"What makes you think that I know?" Pamela asked coolly, turning to look up into his dark eyes. "Just because we're friends doesn't mean that I know all of her little secrets. Besides, Batman, you know where she is. You just have to accept it and go get her, personally I think that you should hurry because if she gets hurt on account of your lollygagging, I'm going to hunt you down and break your neck."

* * *

><p>Creation was hard, creating art; houses, friendships, life and love were all difficult. Yet it was ironic how fragile everything was that it could be destroyed so easily, all it took was a force stronger than whatever object or emotion happened to be in the way.<p>

One gunshot and a life was destroyed.

An earthquake happened and a building was destroyed.

One small misunderstanding and love was destroyed.

When Bruce saw Harleen standing there, clad in her signature red hoodie and black boots, that clown paint smeared about her lovely face; everything was destroyed. All it took was one moment, one single glance to destroy all that he, all that _they_ had worked for.

They stared each other down, she was ashamed and her azure orbs pleaded with his, he was shocked and so devastated that he wasn't sure that he would ever breathe properly again.

Harley turned and raced off, faster than he had ever seen her run before but for once, Bruce didn't feel like chasing after her.


	25. Boomerang

"I'm sorry, Master Bruce, I tried to stop her but she stormed in,"

Bruce gestured for Alfred's dismissal "It's alright. Thank you, Alfred." The old butler nodded and bowed lightly before exiting the Cave. He waited for Alfred to close the door behind him before he turned to Harleen "I presume you're here for your things? They're upstairs where you left them, I haven't touched them."

"No, I'm here to talk to you."

"About what?" he asked coldly "There's nothing to say."

"Bruce, I'm sorry," she whispered, clutching her jacket a little tighter around her small form.

"No need apologize. Just go upstairs and get your things, Quinn."

It took everything the blonde had not to burst into tears; he called her 'Quinn' since he'd taken her to Arkham for the last time, two years ago. He was distancing himself from her, not physically but emotionally. She couldn't handle that.

"Don't you dare do that to me," Harleen demanded, her voice cracking with emotion "Don't you dare pull that 'distance-myself-from-the-perp' crap on me!"

"What do you want from me, Harleen?" he asked, raising his voice which still held that icy undertone to it. "You're lucky that I'm not dragging you into Arkham right this moment. Now, for the last time, just get your things and leave!"

Harleen glared at him for a few moments but soon, she realized that there was nothing she could do right now, nothing she could say to change his mind. "Fine." With that, she turned on her heel and headed for the steps, she stopped just before she reached the door and turned back to look down on Bruce.

"I know that hurt you and that I disappointed you in the worst way. I'm sorry for that and I can't promise you that I won't disappoint you again, no one can give you that but I can promise you that you'll always be the only one I really come back to." She whispered and without another word, she closed the door behind her.


	26. Resurection

Harleen hated formality.

She hated talking about the weather, which coffee flavors were the best or being asked how she was doing or how she slept last night or even how her day was going so far. She hated being forced to act like someone she wasn't because neither of them were ready for her to be her normal, silly self. She hated having to think about what to say, she hated the awkward silences and she hated the waiting.

Learning to live with Bruce again was the most difficult thing that she'd ever done.


	27. Beauty

He was beautiful.

Harleen wondered though as she lay there beside his sleeping form, if he knew just how beautiful he actually was?

When he smiled that crooked little grin of his, she was never more sure of masculine beauty in the world than in that moment when his dimples showed and his pearly teeth were exposed. His dark eyes were gorgeous and reminded her of a warm cup of black coffee on winter's morning and his hair reminded her of autumn leaves, brown and messy. He had the body of a Grecian god and scars that covered nearly inch of him and even those Harleen found beautiful.

He didn't like to use the word 'underwear' so they would both call them 'sheets' instead.

He snored so loudly some times that Harleen actually considered punching him in the middle of the night.

He was possibly the worst cook in the world so neither she nor Alfred would allow him in kitchen without them.

He never let her drive any of his cars.

He hid her bras from her while she was in the shower because he thought that it was funny to see her run around the Manor in nothing but a towel.

Bruce Wayne was just a _fucking_ beautiful man.

"Stop staring at me, you weirdo." He mumbled to her without even opening his eyes.


	28. Middle

"You go first."

"Why do I always have to go first?"

"Cus' you're my bitch." Harleen teased, turning her head to plant a soft kiss on his lips. They were laying on top of one of Bruce's many sports cars out in the front lawn of the Manor, there was really no reason for it but she thought that was all the more reason for them to do it.

Bruce groaned "Fine. It's Anthony."

"Anthony!" Harleen exclaimed excitedly "Oh my god, that's so freakin' adorable and it suits you so well, my little Bruce Anthony Wayne!" she cooed, covering his face in kisses. His cheeks turned a light shade of scarlet and he tried to pry the little blonde off of him. "Stop it, get off of me. God, what's wrong with you?" he told her, trying to hide the smile that she always seemed to bring to his face. She simply giggled and stuck her tongue out at him.

"It's your turn now."

"Don't laugh but it's…Francis."

Bruce was quiet for a moment before he burst out in hysterical laughter. Harleen grew red in the face and punched him in the arm, pretty damn hard too but it did nothing to quiet him.

"You're such a jerk!"


	29. Understanding

**Thanks for all the faves and such! You guys are great! 3 **

**A/N: I'm not really sure how people are going to react to this (those of you who read this story anyhow,) to my below characterization of Bruce but I kind of want to explain myself a little bit here. While Bruce is like one of the most caring/protective people in the world, I honestly feel as if he has this darker side behind closed doors. I don't think he's a psycho or anything like that, I just feel like he's into kinkier/darker things. So yeah, now I'm done. Enjoy!**

**Warning: Sexual themes/situation and strong language ahead! Hit the bricks, kiddies! **

* * *

><p>Harleen liked to take control; actually she seemed to enjoy taking control in nearly everything that she did and for the most part, Bruce would allow her to take charge but there was only place that he always took the lead and that happened to be the bed room.<p>

"Come here."

"No."

She was so difficult sometimes but he liked that about her.

Bruce yanked Harleen over to him and pinned her beneath him, she tried to wiggle her way out from under him but he easily kept her in place and forced her arms over her head. "Bruceeeee-" she started to whine but he quickly silenced her with a sharp kiss.

"Shh, no talking. Not tonight. Not unless I tell you to, okay?"

The blonde pouted but after a moment or so, she nodded. She would never be able to submit to anyone other than him – she had vowed never to let another man dominate her in any way shape or form, not after what the Joker had done to her. Yet things were different with Bruce, he loved her and he would never actually hurt her, and if she told him to stop at any point in the night, he would hop off of her as if she were on fire and kiss whatever pain he'd caused away. He was no Joker, he wouldn't even touch her unless she gave him the okay.

That was the difference; the Joker had hurt her because he wanted to and Bruce hurt her because she wanted_ him_ to.

He used undid the buckle to his pants and used that tie her hands in place, to the head board and then he kissed her. Hard and rough kisses that demanded every ounce of her attention; Harleen nearly melted against him and in her eagerness; she wrapped her legs around his waist. Bruce grinned against the kiss and pulled away, smirking smugly at her.

"Do you want something, Harleen?" he asked her.

Jerk.

"Bruce, don't make me-"

He smacked her inner thigh and Harleen gasped more in surprise than actual pain, it hadn't been hard but stinging enough remind her that she was supposed to be listening to him.

"What I did I tell you?" he hissed in her ear. "You are to speak only when I tell you, do you understand?"  
>"Yes."<br>"Good, now I asked you a question and I expect an answer."  
>"I want you to fuck me." She whispered softly.<br>"Louder."  
>"I want you to fuck me!"<br>"Good girl," he remarked, kissing and biting down from her shoulder blade to her pert breasts. "Maybe if you behave, I just might." He kissed his way back up to her lips and pressed his against hers but this time it was bit softer, more like his normal kisses and she found herself melting into him all over again.

Everyone had a light and a dark side to them, Harleen reasoned and while Bruce's lightness allowed him to save, and protect and love, his darkness urged him to control and hurt. And that was okay because Harleen had a dark side that enjoyed and craved everything he could dish out.

They never bothered explaining it to eachother, there was no need. They both understood.


	30. Courage

Bruce was a brave man.

Fear wasn't an emotion that he could recall feeling too often even at some of his worst moments – Killer Croc, Two Face, Scarecrow and even the Joker were absolutely nothing compared to a certain little blonde around her time of the month.

"Bruce Anthony Wayne, you get your billionaire ass down here right now!"

Even Batman knew when to run for cover.


	31. Asleep

Red.

_So much_ red.

Harleen wondered if she would ever see another color again. It had been Killer Croc that had done this, the bastard, he'd nearly torn Bruce to shreds, but his abdomen and right leg were the worst. He was practically caked in dried blood; she had gently scrubbed most of it off of his face, partially because she could stand the sight of the blood smeared all over his face and partially because she'd been hoping that he would stir a bit. No such luck.

She sat beside him as he lay unconscious on the gurney that Alfred kept down in the Batcave for such occasions. Together, she and the old butler had done their best to clean and sew his wounds, but he would need a doctor well practiced in surgery so Alfred had gone up stairs to call Dr. Thompson over immediately.

Harleen stayed by Bruce's side.

Waiting for him to awaken, waiting for the worst, waiting for this nightmare to be over.

She buried her head in her hands and took a shaky breath in a vain attempt of controlling the tears that were beginning to pool in her blue eyes.

"….Harleen?..."


	32. October

"What?"

"I said that fall means _cuddle weather._"

"Do you have to call it that?" Bruce groaned.

Harleen smirked as she tugged on her boots and glanced over to him "Fine, what else would you have me call it? Huggle weather? Snuggle season? Lovefest? Time-to-get-butt-ass-naked-and-lay-on-top-of each other, which would you prefer?"

Bruce's cheeks flushed a bit as he buttoned up his shirt, she could be so blunt about things sometimes! When they weren't being intimate he didn't like to be so blunt with things like that and he absolutely hated pet names while Harleen, well, she didn't really care either way about anything.

"Fine, I guess..cuddle weather isn't so bad."

Harleen grinned, deciding that she would mess with him a bit more before they both had to head off to work. "Aww, see, there you go, snookums!"

"Don't start," he growled, turning to glare at her.

"Don't start what? I thought you liked my little pet names for you, poo-bear?"

"Harleen.."

As the blonde, now fully dressed for the day, made her way past him she grabbed his butt. "God, you've got such a cute little ass! My poo-bear has the cutest ass in the whole world!" she shouted at the top of her lungs as she skipped out of their bedroom.

If Bruce hadn't been blushing before, he sure as hell was now. Even though it was just the pair of them in the Manor, he felt nearly all of the blood rush to his face.

"I hate you, Harls!" he shouted back.

The only response he was met with was laughter.


	33. Weakness

Harleen was an emotional woman, she just didn't let it show.

Her mother had taught her at a young age that crying was something only weak little girls did and her mother despised weak women. So Harleen had spent most of her life trying to mold herself into a 'strong' woman because weakness was ugly and the world hated an ugly girl.

But when Bruce refused to allow his wounds to heal and insisted on continuing his training, all of her strength failed her.

"Bruce, I swear to God, if you don't get back upstairs right this instant I will break your nose." She snarled, Harleen only half meant it, of course, she was hoping that he would just listen to her for once and take it easy before he hurt himself.

"Try it," he retorted.

The blonde narrowed her eyes and simply glared up at him for a long moment. _Crap, is she really going to do it? _He thought to himself, he opened his mouth to speak but was surprised to see Harleen's lower lip begin to tremble and tears begin to spill down her cheeks. She'd only ever let him see her cry once before, other times in the moments before the actual tears would fall, she would run off and go hide somewhere until she'd collected herself. It annoyed him, not because he wanted to see her cry but he because it felt like she didn't trust him. He knew that wasn't the case but that's what it felt like yet here she was, standing a foot or so in front of him, crying as if she were at a funeral.

Harleen immediately wiped at her tears, wrapping her arms around herself and looking away from Bruce. There was a pregnant silence for a bit before finally Bruce asked the question that he most needed the answer to.

"Why do you do that?" he whispered softly "Why do you have to hide?"

"Why do you have to be so fucking difficult all of the time?" she retorted, sharply. Bruce said nothing and she took a deep breath, attempting to compose herself.

"I don't know how to do this," she sniffled, wiping at a few more of her tears and still refusing to look at Bruce. "I don't know how to be so vulnerable in front of you or anyone. I used to be strong, you know." Harleen continued "But you've made me weak."

"You're not weak, Harls,"

"I am," she replied, with a bitter smile as she finally glanced up to meet his eyes "I can't handle you getting hurt and you're only going to make things worse for the both of us if you start pushing yourself. Your leg is still in shreds, you need to rest. I know that you're going to be getting hurt a lot doing what you do and I can accept that, but please don't do this kind of thing to me. I can't take it, I honestly just can't. So please, for the love of God can you just turn around, go back up stairs and I'll help you into bed?"

Bruce nodded and moved forward a bit to wipe the tears from her cheeks. That was all he needed to hear. "I'm sorry, Harls." He whispered "And thank you."

Harleen didn't quite understand what he was thanking her for but he was going to listen to her and that was enough for her.


	34. Mutal

Harleen still didn't quite understand why Bruce hated Superman so much.

They were allies, yes but Bruce hated the guy, as he'd told Harleen multiple times before. From what she'd heard though, everyone seemed to adore the man and even people in Gotham smiled at the mere mention of the Man of Steel.

He was a hero and Batman, he was a vigilante, someone feared and hated.

Maybe that was the reason why? Clark got to play boy scout while Bruce got the short end of the stick. It wasn't until Bruce had to take a business trip to Metropolis and he'd decided to take her along with him where she finally met Clark Kent.

On the flight home, the blonde turned to her companion:

"I understand why you hate him, he's kind of a douche bag."

Bruce was silent for a few moments before he placed his hands on either side of Harleen's face and pulled her in for a kiss. He pulled away and grinned that crooked grin of his.

"That's possibly the best thing that you've ever said to me."


	35. Cling

Bats could be scared of the dark too.

Those who frightened others could still experience fear themselves and those who caused pain often felt more of it than the ones they inflicted it upon. Harleen didn't know what plagued Bruce, maybe it was the death of his parents, or the death of his childhood friend and (as Alfred had informed her) his old flame, Rachel Dawes or maybe it was just the fact that he had to see the madness of Gotham City first hand every night.

She never asked him and she never would.

She never spoke of it in the mornings.

She did the only thing that she could, she stayed.

When the nightmares came for him and he writhed about in thde silken sheets, crying out for his parents or Rachel, Harvey or any one that he hadn't been able to save, she stayed right beside him and waited for the worst of it to be over. And when he woke, sobbing and terrified of the darkness surrounding him, Harleen never said a word, she just did the only thing that she could do; she held him.

She held him to remind him that soon the darkness would be gone and it would be morning again, she held him to remind him that he was never alone but mostly she held him because sometimes that was all that someone needed from the one they love.


	36. Intertwined

"What are we?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, I mean, are we dating, or are you my girlfriend? I mean I don't know what to call us."

"Why do we have to call 'us' anything? Why can't we just be?"

"We can, I mean I just don't know what to say when people ask about you."

"Tell them to mind their own damned business!"

"I wish that I could but possible business partners find our relationship status to be a wonderful icebreaker,"

"I don't like to put labels on things because as soon as something has a label it becomes cheap, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I guess that you're right."

"..Bruce?.."

"Yes?"

"Do you think that we'll last, not just as a couple but as everything, friends, lovers, enemies, all of that."

"I don't follow."

"I mean just us, no matter what terms we're on. Like even if we didn't stay together I would still want to be near you."

"Oh! Yes, I think we'll last no matter what the circumstances."

Harleen giggled lightly as she played absently with Bruce's hand "We're infinite."

He didn't quite understand what she meant by that but whatever she meant, he really liked the sound of it.


	37. Sail

When Bruce first fell in love with Harleen, he knew that she was the one for him. He had never been one for that romantic, love-at-first-sight bullshit but he just sort of knew.

When Bruce saw the ring, he knew that it was for her. With its blue diamonds and yellow gold, it practically screamed her name.

When Bruce asked her to spend the night on the yacht with him, he ignored all of her jokes and reminded himself that the look on her face was going to be well worth all of her mocking.

When Bruce saw her in the soft pink, lace sundress that he'd bought for her last week, he nearly forgot how to breathe.

When Bruce got down on one knee, he never felt more ridiculous..or scared.

When Harleen saw him get down on one knee, her heart was pounding so loudly she was absolutely sure that he would hear it. He couldn't be asking her what she thought he was.

When Harleen saw him stand, grinning at her in his pale blue button down shirt, tan khakis and with a pair of Gucci sunglasses resting atop his head, she swore to herself that she would remember him this way forever.

When Harleen asked him to come out with her onto the hull of the yacht with her, she ignored all of his _Titanic_ jokes and reminded herself that this was the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with.

When Harleen looked over and saw the ring that graced her slender finger as she and Bruce lay entwined together on the hull of the ship, she knew that she'd never be unhappy again.

Just like when Harleen had first fallen in love with Bruce, she just sort of knew.


	38. Hallow's Eve

The doorbell rung for nearly the millionth time that night; what little kid didn't want to go trick or treating at the biggest mansion in all of Uptown Gotham?

Tonight, of course was Halloween and Harleen as well as Alfred had been given the job of 'holding down the fort' while Bruce was out on patrol. Alfred has chosen to dress as a captain of a ship and Harleen dressed as his first mate. It was a pretty seductive costume yet conservative enough that she didn't feel too guilty wearing it in front of the children. She was wearing it in the hopes that Bruce would somehow manage to make it home early, she doubted it though, Gotham City was a madhouse on Halloween.

"Coming!" Harleen called, adjusting her costume a bit before she grabbed the large bowl of candy off of the kitchen counter and made her way through the foyer and to the front door. The blonde grinned at the young children, all smiling expectantly up at her. After emptying the contents of the bowl into their bags, she gently closed the door only to feel a familiar pair of arms encircle her waist from behind.

She giggled at the sensation of his lips against her neck; so much for a mad house.

"Trick or treat," Bruce breathed into her hair.


	39. Blessings

"Married!"

"Yeah, married. I thought you'd be happy for me?" Harleen said softly, genuinely hurt by her friends response.

"Of course I'm happy for you, blondie! If I ever had to pick a guy for you I guess that I would choose ol' Brucie-boy but marriage? I thought that you, like myself were absolutely against such an idiotic ceremony, it's just another way for men to control women."

The blonde sighed "Yeah, yeah I know and I used to think that but things are different now. Never once has Bruce ever tried to control me or stop me from doing what I want to do. He understands."

Ivy seemed to mull this over for a few moments before speaking again "Well, he doesn't hurt you, right?"

"Never."

"And you're happy?"

"I don't think that I've ever been this happy in my entire life."

"Hmm..then I'm happy too," Ivy smiled softly "So, I'm going to your Maid of Honor, right?"

"Of course. You even get to pick the color dress you're going to wear."

"You're an angel, Harls."

"Oh and B-man is going to pull some strings for me so that I can get you out of here long enough to help me pick out my gown."

"I'll see you then," Ivy replied, blowing at kiss at her blonde friend through the glass of her cell. Harleen returned it, hung up the phone that had allowed them both to hear each other, turned and walked out of the B-Cellblock.

Pamela really was her best friend.


	40. Melt

Things were changing.

Not on a physical level, of course, Harleen and Bruce were still the same dysfunctional couple as they'd always been but something else was changing. She hadn't even noticed it at first but now the more and more time she spent with Bruce, the more obvious it was becoming.

Bruce and Batman were one and the same.

Before the engagement, things had been different, there had been two distinct personalities one of which owned her heart and another that only loved the his chrome city. Batman would always watch over her as he watched over all of Gotham, but that was it. Bruce wouldn't even so much as kiss her if he was in the suit because, well, he wasn't Bruce. Now, Harleen could barely tell the difference between the two, she could almost see the merging of two beings when she looked into their eyes.

She should have been glad that she had finally managed to rid herself of her love's alter ego and in a way she was but still, deep in the pit of her stomach that sinking feeling just wouldn't go away.


	41. Prelude

Maybe if Harleen hadn't missed Bruce so much these past weeks that when he came home so late that night she wouldn't have practically molested him.

Maybe if Bruce hadn't been so tired from patrol and then other few hours he spent with Harleen, he would have remembered to set her alarm for her since she had such a bad habit of forgetting.

Maybe if Harleen had woken up an hour and a half earlier, she wouldn't have had to rush to work and she would have had enough time to stop to get gas.

Maybe if one tiny moment had happened another way, then things would have been different. Harleen wouldn't have had to have taken the train – the same train that one of her old friends just happened to be riding in on as well.


	42. Captivity

The Joker had seen it; there was no denying it now for either of them because now he knew.

As the Gotham City Police dragged him away, he'd caught sight of the pair at the opposite end of the subway, one half buried in shadows and the other half buried in a pair of dark arms.

"Are you alright?" he heard the shadows ask in that guttural growl he'd come to know so well.

The petite woman nodded her head as she looked up into the darkness and then he saw it, a dark hand move to brush the messy golden rays from her face. He saw no more after that, but he didn't need to.

No one else had been watching, no one else had seen.

But he did and now he knew that Harleen had done what he'd never been able to; capture the Batman.


	43. Endurance

"Did you require something, Master Bruce?" asked Alfred, not even bothering to look up from his newspaper where he sat at the kitchen table. Bruce had come into the kitchen, flitting about as if he had multiple things to be done. But Alfred knew better, not only had he scrubbed the kitchen spotless but his 'son' had done the same thing when he was younger and had something on his mind.

Bruce paused and sighed "It's Harleen, Alfred."

"Ah yes. Fighting again, I presume, sir?"

He nodded; the old man carefully folded his newspaper, placed it on the table and gestured to the chair across from him. "Care to take a seat, sir? I doubt that this conversation will be brief."

Bruce nodded and walked over, taking the seat and as soon as he did, all that had been bother him came spilling out in one loud span of words. "I don't know what to do. I love her but sometimes that just doesn't seem to be enough..for either of us. I want to be with her but God, Alfred, I'm only twenty-six, she's just twenty-four! I don't even know if things are ever going to work between us. We're young, we're stupid, we fight and I can't figure out how to make things better. She goes from being the most amazing, beautiful woman in the world to the most difficult, pushy, irritating, irrational, pain-in-the-ass that I just can't stand to be around. It's like everything that I say to her sets her off. We're not even married yet, what the hell will things be like then?"

All the while Alfred listened to the young master vent, smiling knowingly to himself. "Master Wayne, have I ever told you about my two wives?"

"No."

"Hmm, well I suppose that now would be as good time as any," he replied softly before continuing "My first wife, Adele was a lovely woman, I met her in my days as a traveling actor. I loved her but in the end it turned out that neither of us were in love with the other and we ended on good terms. I, much as you had been before Ms. Quinzel, was content to live my life alone but then when I least expected it, I met my second wife Elaine."

Alfred paused for a moment before continuing "She sang at a local bar every Thursday night, and when I finally got the courage to talk to her, I think I fell in love with her the moment that she spoke to me. I'd never met anyone like her, no one that understood me the way that she did or that could actually take my breath away. Only problem was that we fought like cats and dogs, she was the most infuriating and smug woman that I'd ever met and on somedays, I hated her. We could go days without speaking, even weeks. The few times that I've shed tears in this life were over her and her nonsense."

"What happened to her?" Bruce inquired softly.

"She died. About three years after we were married, lung cancer and it was shortly after that I came to work for your father."

"I'm sorry,"

Alfred shook his head and offered Bruce a small smile. "Don't be, Master Wayne. I don't mourn her, I celebrate her and the time, however brief, that we had together. Very few people in this life get to experience a real love, I was lucky and if I ever had one wish for you, sir, it would be that you share that experience as well. Don't run from it."

"I don't want to get hurt, Alfred."

"That's the thing about life, sir, happiness comes when you find a common ground for agony and ecstasy. Love, sir, happens to be just that. You'll have days where you'll hate her; you'll cry over her, you might even want to walk away from her for good." Alfred placed his hand on Bruce's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"But for all those days of misery, there will be double that of happiness. Memories that you'll never forget and moments that you'll never share with anyone else. Yet to experience any of that, as I told you before, sir, you must learn to endure."


	44. False Pretense

"You lied to me, Quinn,"

"Lied? What makes you think-"

"Stop it!" Batman snarled, slamming his fist down on the metal table that separated them. "Stop with your games, Harley. False leads can only go so far, now for the last damned time tell me where he is!"

"Try the East corner of the Narrows."

"Lie to me again and I'll break your arm!" he growled out her – Batman was only half bluffing. He would admit that he was a little 'gentler' with women criminals than he was with men but if she pushed him far enough, he might actually do it.

Harley's azure eyes narrowed and she leaned forward to stare the Bat right in the eye. "I'm not the liar here, Batman. You told me, no, you promised me that if I squealed, he wouldn't find me, nothing else bad would happen to me. Well, I have a healing compound fracture in my leg and metal rod in my back that disagree with you." She spat "So, might I suggest that before you go pointing fingers, you ensure that your hands are clean."

The Batman said nothing; he simply stood and glowered down at her. "Just tell me where he is, Harley," he implored her, much softer than she'd ever heard him speak to anyone. "Please?"

Harley turned away from him and shrugged. "I thought you were good at calling bluffs? I have absolutely no idea where the hell he is."


	45. Aquatic

Bruce had never liked the ocean; it was too large for him, too unpredictable. He couldn't control it. The way it slapped against the shore, even when it was calm made him feel uneasy and he was never quite sure as to why.

Harleen was a mermaid or at least, she liked to believe and tell him that she was. The ocean seemed to have an almost magnetic pull on her; the water quenched the embers beneath her flesh and embedded in her soul. She was softer, quieter and more at peace than she had ever been when she was with him in the city.

He watched her as she sat at the edge of the shore, allowing the waves to gently kiss her feet and idly playing with seashells in the golden sand. She was more like the ocean than a mermaid, dark with so much more lying underneath the surface than anyone could ever imagine but still undeniably gorgeous.

She hummed quietly to herself, unaware of her companion's intent gaze.

"Someday I'll be, part of your world." She sang softly under her breath.


	46. Blade

It was there, tempting her.

In the kitchen where Alfred cooked their meals, in the bathroom that she and Bruce shared and multiple other places in the mansion, every where she turned, her tormentor silently reminded her of its presence.

Bruce was over protective of her and anyone else that cared about, he knew the painted faces of her monsters as well as the unpainted, he could tell when the memories were weighing down on her again and when her sickness was flaring up but this was the one secret she could never tell him. He would never see her in the same light again; he would never forgive her for what she did to herself when he wasn't around.

Harleen could never allow herself to tell Bruce the truth of her scars; most of them as he knew were from a clown but a little less than half were from herself and that every time she saw a glint of sliver knife, or a razor's edge that she had to remind herself of who she was and how far she had come.

But some days, she wasn't sure that she was strong enough.


	47. Ceremonials I

"I understand that the bride and groom have written their own vows for one another?"

The pair nodded, their eyes never leaving one another.

"I believe that it is customary for the groom to go first?" the pastor asked, nodding towards Bruce.

The usually eloquent man took a deep breath to calm his nerves before speaking directly to his soon to be wife; "Harleen. You are single handedly the most irritating, frustrating, gorgeous and amazing woman that I have ever met. Your strength is only out-weighed by your kindness and the beauty of your complexity. I don't think that I'll ever truly understand you but I want to spend the rest of my life trying to. Now that I've met you, I could never imagine a day without you whether it be spent by your side or fighting with you, I don't care, I want to and I want you. I want to make you happy, I want to cheer up on rough days, I want to be near you always. I know that I don't say it to you as much as I should but I love you and even though you tell me that I saved from the life you led before hand, I think you might have actually saved me."


End file.
